Message Boards

Topic : How I Fought My Illness

If you've suffered from a debilitating illness and lived to tell your story, please tell it to us. Share your most uplifting and practical ways to fight off illness.

As of January, 2009, this message board will become "Read Only" and will be closed to further posting. Please join the NEW Dr. Phil Community to continue your discussions, personalize your message board experience, start a blog and meet new friends.

graves disease

Hi, i live in australia, so were not quite up to were you guys are, we only just had the 500th show, it was great to see the dr phil family again..&nbsp

any way i was diagnosed with graves disease 2yrs ago after alot of misdiagnosing i ended up in hospital in a bad way, i know have this huge fear of death, it dibilitates my whole life, though not as much as before..what helped me, cognitive therapy and alot of positive thought, i am changing my whole way of thinking.. it works.&nbsp

if there is anyone else out there who has graves disease and wants to chat id love to email me on beckstar30@hotmail.com&nbsp

How I Fought My Illness

I read your post. Wow, girlfriend you have a full plate!!!! I recently had my thyroid out and noticed you mentioned being hypocalcemic. I am having calcium problems right after also. Can you give me any info, tips or pointers on things you've learned since having the thyroid out??? I would really appreciate anything you can tell me!!! &nbsp

Thanks&nbsp

Karen&nbsp

So far the only thing that has really worked for me is high doses of calcium and Vitamin D. i take 6 Oscal +D every day and a 25,000iu of perscription vitamin D 3 times a week. Even with that my calcium still dips a lot. the doctor says that my para-thyroid that is left will probably never take up regulating my calcium so I'll have to take high doses from now on.

Dissolved a tumor in 17 days

Last fall I had a breast cancer reoccurrence after 6 years. First time around I did all the conventional medical stuff-lumpectomy, chemo, radiation. This time I decided no chemo, no surgery and set about doing more of what I'd done for 6 years to get rid of the chemo. I i was followed by docs, but did my own thing. I found a "black drawing poultice" recipe and made it up; got hold of an immune support formula of peru rainforest herbs, took essiac herbs in capsules, got a carrott juice and a wheat grass 5 times a week, listened to Louise Hays Cancer: Discovering Your Healing Power, got instant religion to eat organic food and ate sprouted bread (ezekial 4:9 bread), had a hot bath and enema daily, napped a lot. It took me only 17 days, ironically 4 days before my biopsy results came back invasive ductal carcinoma, my tumor has disappeared. it took 2 1/2 months to get a second biopsy done--completely benign. I am continuiing on the rainforest herbs and eating well as I can and watching the scar tissue from my original lumpectomy. get smaller.

I fought fibromyalgia ,too

My youngest daughter was 1 year old, I tought it had everything to do with the pregnancy, but a year later the pain was still there.......the doctor told me it was FM. &nbsp

3 years ago they gave me a wheelchair, my world was falling apart, I cryed for days, my doctor send me into a rehacentre, and there I learned to handle the pain and saw the nice things in life again, made sports togehter, and now after these 2 years I dont use the wheelchair anymore....I learned to fight back...I work again, running everyday with my husband he has always support me in these difficult years, I feel so good and I'am a happy woman again. &nbsp

About 10 years ago I was exhausted, my muscles hurt so bad if I accidentally lightly tapped an arm on a doorframe, it felt like getting hit with a hammer. I was so tired housework was out of the question, I'd just be tripping over my own feet. I had 30 to 60 good minutes a day. I'd drive my kids to school, go back to sleep until school was out, drive thru fast food, put food in the house, put laundry in and out of the washer and dryer, and that was literally all I could do.

I cleaned up my diet, ate more antioxidants and tried a lot of different vitamins and other supplements. Aloe vera gel and unprocessed trace minerals seemed to help. What really turned the tide for me was increasing the dose of grapeseed extract I was taking; when I went up from 50 mg to 300 mg a day I felt awake the next day. Now if I begin to feel the muscle fatigue start, I can take 150 to 300 mg of the grapeseed and head it off. Have fought cancer twice and won; thats another story.

the fight against FM

About 10 years ago I was exhausted, my muscles hurt so bad if I accidentally lightly tapped an arm on a doorframe, it felt like getting hit with a hammer. I was so tired housework was out of the question, I'd just be tripping over my own feet. I had 30 to 60 good minutes a day. I'd drive my kids to school, go back to sleep until school was out, drive thru fast food, put food in the house, put laundry in and out of the washer and dryer, and that was literally all I could do.

I cleaned up my diet, ate more antioxidants and tried a lot of different vitamins and other supplements. Aloe vera gel and unprocessed trace minerals seemed to help. What really turned the tide for me was increasing the dose of grapeseed extract I was taking; when I went up from 50 mg to 300 mg a day I felt awake the next day. Now if I begin to feel the muscle fatigue start, I can take 150 to 300 mg of the grapeseed and head it off. Have fought cancer twice and won; thats another story.

That is so great to hear, I'am very happy for you! but I really don't know what a grapeseed is, can you explain that to me, please.

ESRF

My kidneys failed in March 2000 after numerous doctors assured me they would not. I found out later that my kidney failure could have been prevented... my disease process went undiagnosed and then misdiagnosed for 20 years. It also turned out I was prescribed the wrong medication for my condition (which almost killed me) as well as the right medication in the wrong dosage so it did absolutely no good. &nbsp

&nbsp

Five and a half years on dialysis has been difficult and debilitating. I do not do well despite aggressive hemodialysis treatments... four hours per session five days a week. I have significant complications that have nearly ruined my quality of life. &nbsp

&nbsp

I went from being extremely active... rode horses, snow skied, ice skated, hiked, biked, played tennis, and raised and showed my own Golden Retrievers... enjoyed active memberships in numerous clubs with frequent social outings and travel... to being a virtual recluse. I go to dialysis and back and that wipes me out. My husband (bless his supportive soul and generous heart) takes care of the dogs and house... without him even my beloved Goldens would be a thing of the past. &nbsp

&nbsp

Now I have osteoporosis secondary to my renal failure that has cost me 3" in height and I must wear a lumbar support and use a walker to prevent falls. I look like crap. UCLA gives me the runaround regarding my transplant status and when I can expect "The Call." &nbsp

&nbsp

The frustration and depression are wilting at times. The highly restrictive diet would make anyone crazy. Recently I became unable to bathe myself - how humiliating is THAT? Except for a very few close friends and family, no one calls or cares. When acquaintences ask "How are you?" I never know whether to murmur a polite "Fine, thanks" or launch into the 20 minute litany of how awful things really are. I usually choose the former... after all, who really wants to listen to all my various woes? Just because *I* have to put up with them day in and day out does not mean I should whine about them to people who can really do nothing to help. It only makes them feel helpless and me feel weak for not sucking it up. I HATE (absolutely HATE) being defined by my illness. Kidney failure is not who I am, it is what has happened to me. &nbsp

&nbsp

I email Dr Phil and Oprah repeatedly begging them to do shows on rare diseases so people can learn about my condition which I believe goes largely undiagnosed. No one should have to lose their kidney function when it is preventable! If anyone reading this produces calcium oxalate kidney stones, go to www.ohf.org and see if you fit the profile. If so, DO NOT REST until your doctors do the proper diagnostics to determine if you have this condition! You are your own best health care advocate!!! You only get one set of kidneys... when they are gone, so too will be any vestige of your former life. Don't let what happened to me happen to you. &nbsp

&nbsp

So... anyone out there have a B+ kidney to spare? Ha ha, that's only half a joke. Being one of the 65,000 Americans waiting for a kidney sure makes you look at the obits differently. How many people take perfectly viable organs to the grave with them? If you want to make a difference, support legislation to make organ donorship an "opt-OUT" system instead of the "opt-IN" system it currently is today. &nbsp

&nbsp

No one needs to reply to this... I am just venting. In my dreams I am still healthy but my waking hours are a nightmare I can't wake up from and never will. &nbsp

Calcium Problems

Happy Zot, please tell me what you're dealing with (ie) symptpoms)., I've had Hypoparathyroism since the day I was born. I've had calcium problems all of my life. I was dianosed by "the doctor of Endocrinology" since then.
Are you having bouts of Tetany (ie tightening of the muscles)? If so, I might be able to help. I DO NOT envy anyone who's had to deal with this ailment.
Hope I can help,
Linda

Muscle Cramps

Hi and Thanks to Voodidit and Ibelive,&nbsp

I am waiting for my first post surgery appt. with the endocrinologist. It is so important to get a Dr. who will listen carefully to your symptoms. If I had done that initially, I wouldn't have wasted nearly 4 months before having the thyroid out. I learned after the fact that 20-30 percent of people who are in a "storm" state can die from the effects. &nbsp

&nbsp

ENT surgeon who took the thyroid out, said the hypocalcemia may correct itself. I am just unsure about how much calcium is ENOUGH as a supplement. Does the body pass the extra calcium? I have always been careful when taking supplements to make sure it's not one that will build up in my system and cause problems. &nbsp

&nbsp

My eye disease is fairly pronounced but ENT Dr. says it can be corrected by surgery to remove the inflamed bone and fatty deposits that are lining the eye socket and put the eyes back in a normal position. Have you or anyone you know had this surgery??? &nbsp

What we need to know

I watch another great show on TV each day which talks all about health and the ways how one can heal themselves of basically all auto immune disease including that child that is running you down. I'm keeping a shared Diary of what I hear each day. When you click on my name the last entry comes up but if you go to the side column to the name of the diary you can start from the beginning to read the shows in progression. I'm sharing this info with you and would love to see them on Dr. Phil one day. Everyone would just love it and learn tons.